Business name: Whispering Oaks Kennel
Address: 140 Whispering Oaks Rd
City, State Zip: Belleville, PA
Year: 2007
Date of CAPS Investigation: 2007-11-02
Time of CAPS Investigation: 12:44
Note: Pennsylvania kennel class: K5 (closed – voluntarily), No USDA license (sells to broker)
Breeds: Shih Tzus, Pomeranians, German Shepherds, Jack Russell Terriers, Chihuahuas
There were 10 dogs and about 16 puppies in the kennel at the time of investigation.
Kennel appeared to be illegally operating
Whispering Oaks Kennel is noted as being voluntarily closed down. I spoke with the kennel owner who said that she used to breed more dogs than she does now. The dogs were kept in a single metal barn near the house. I saw several pieces of chain link fencing piled outside the barn. Inside was a row of dog pens made of chain link doorways and plastic walls.
The kennel owner told me that she “doesn’t have that many litters,” though she had three litters of puppies in the kennel at the time I was there. She said she sells puppies to a man named Dennis from the state of Maryland. Her only description of Dennis was that he is black and pays her in cash, and she claimed she didn’t know his last name.
Dogs in the kennel
Though listed as being closed down, Whispering Oaks Kennel was operating as a breeding facility with over two dozen dogs and puppies in it. One pen contained six to eight Shih Tzu puppies that were not captured on tape. They were located further from the door accessing the barn as the other pens. As I viewed the dogs and puppies in the building, the owner stood closer and closer to my left. Therefore, I stopped pressing towards the other pens to not arouse further suspicion. Each pen held the following dogs: six Shih Tzu puppies; a nursing German Shepherd and three puppies; two Chihuahuas; two Pomeranians; two Jack Russell Terriers; two Shih Tzu; and one Shih Tzu.
Violations
Violations noted at the facility included all three of the adult Shih Tzu having thickly matted fur (PA Dog Law: 21.30 Condition of dog), and the Shih Tzu and small dog pens all had several days of feces in them, evident even through the wood chips used to cover their floorings (PA Dog Law: 21.29(a) Sanitation).
I contacted Jesse Smith’s office on 11/1/07 to send a report to the proper state dog warden that Whispering Oaks kennel appeared to be operating a kennel without a license while requiring one. I was later informed via e-mail by PA Dog Law that their department was aware of the situation and monitoring it.
